No End In Sight
by Akana Akazen
Summary: A girl named Tara was transported to Traverse Town one day when her world was destroyed. There her adventures began with no end in sight. :gags: Read profile. MAJOR revision starts soon.
1. The Beginning

Hello, everyone! Welcome to my first ever Kingdom Hearts story! I'm not really all that good at writing, and since this is my first KH story, it's bound to be really horrible... I still hope you enjoy, though! Now, my disclaimer will be preformed by Akana and Leiko, the names given to my two personalities. Akana is all happy and hyper, and Leiko is... not...

**:Disclaimer:**

**Akana: **Welcome, all! We're really really super excited to bring you this story!  
**Leiko: **Speak for yourself.  
**Akana: **Anyway, we thought this would be a really nice change of pace. We usually write Inuyasha fanfics only, but we've had a pretty weird and maybe kind of cool idea for a KH story, so we decided to write it. Isn't that so cool?  
**Leiko: **Not really. Especially since we don't even own anyone in the game. All characters used in this story are copyrighted to their respectful owners.  
**Akana: **Y'mean... We don't even own the hot and sexy Riku?  
**Leiko: **Nope. But we _do_ own one character who is only shown in this story.  
**Akana: **Really? Who?  
**Leiko: **... 'rolls eyes'

**:End Disclaimer:**

**WARNING: SPOILERS**  
This story takes place right as the first Kingdom Hearts game for PS2 ends. If you haven't beaten the game, then you really shouldn't read this. Also, I haven't played KH2 or KH: Chain of Memories, so nothing from either of those games will be in here.

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

**.:Traverse Town:.**

She stuck her sword in the ground and leaned on it to catch her breath. The rain beat hard against her back and soaked her from head to toe; of course, it was impossible to tell whether it was truly the rain or just sweat. She closed her eyes and grimaced, for a wound in her side was causing her much pain. _I should be more careful! _she scolded herself. Her eyes flew open again and she forced herself to stand straight. She looked around, surveying her enemies who were gathering around her in a tight circle. One was daring and jumped at her. It tasted steel and disappeared in wispy black smoke. The others hesitated before advancing again, more cautious now. The fourteen year old girl's face was set in grim determination as she watched them. Soon they would all pounce. She got ready.

It was only a minute later. She whirled around, the chains on her pants clinking and jingling as she did so. She held her sword high with one hand and shot a fireball out of the other. All the Shadows saw was a tornado of gleaming steel and raging fire. After that, their world went black.

Her shoulder-length black hair stuck to the back of her neck as she fought. Her red eyes shone with a rage that burned brighter than the fire she threw. She was only about four feet and ten inches tall, but she was lethal when given a cause. Her pants were plain and black, and her short-sleeved shirt was the same. She wore chains on her pants, as said before, but that was about all. Except for her sheaths and necklace, that is.

Her sheaths were on her back. They were crossed, and each was designed for their specific sword and could hold no other. The sheaths were one of a kind, though they didn't look it: plain, black, seemingly normal. They were only curved slightly. One of the swords that went in one of the sheaths was being waved around in the girl's right hand; the other was lying broken a few feet away. A Defender had caught her off guard earlier, and that was the result of it. The Defender had also given her that nasty wound in her side. She decided that she'd have to take the sword to Merlin to get it repaired.

Her necklace was the only thing she was wearing that was light. It wasn't just light, it was _very _light. It was a white pendant on a silver necklace, and it seemed to glow. It was a very special trinket, but only so to her. Anyone else would've considered it just a fine piece of jewelry that didn't seem to really belong on this tom-boy. They would've traded it in for a few hundred munny pieces and completely missed the sentimental value of it.

Of course, her thoughts weren't on any of this at the moment. They were on the fight at hand and on, specifically, surviving it.

Something odd chose that moment to happen. The girl was becoming overwhelmed, and she'd gained quite a few cuts and marks where the Shadows had broken through her defenses and had been able to get to her. They were breaking through more and more often now, and that was a problem. She was truly getting tired and weak; the Shadows knew this. So, of course, it was to her great surprise to find that they had suddenly stopped attacking her. They backed off in a jerky, slinky sort of way, then disappeared into the ground as they did when they were scared.

Scared of what? Of her?

She straightened a bit and watched with confusion as the last one disappeared into the darkness of the night. She looked up into the sky, wondering if it held any answers for her. She let the rain wash over her weary body and wished it were a nice hot bath in her home rather than a freezing cold shower many worlds away from it.

She had no idea of what was going on behind her. Had she known, she would've become scared and fled the area. Had she known, she would've remembered the scar that ran along her back that she'd gotten from this powerful Heartless. Had she known, she would've remembered how very close to death she'd come, and how the only thing that stopped this beast was when Leon stepped in and helped. Had she known, she also would've remembered that she'd encountered only one other of this type of Heartless in her life and that she'd run from it. Had she known, she would've remembered the assassin clearly in her mind, and she would've realized why the Shadows had run.

The Invisible is feared by all Heartless except, perhaps, the Angels. They are a ruthless breed that delights in killing anything, whether it be a human, an animal, or even another Heartless. They are merciless, a fact only made worse when coupled with their ability to turn invisible, as their name suggests. They know no fear and have a stubborn determination to kill their prey.

This one was no different. Silently, it flew in the air behind the girl. It waited in its invisible form until she finished staring at the sky. She dropped her head and continued looking around in bewilderment for any Heartless. The one behind her became visible again; even it couldn't stay invisible forever. The clouds blocked out the moonlight, and so the Invisible had no shadow to tell of its presence. It raised its sword high, and if you looked carefully into its black eyes, you could see the slightest gleam of excitement as it went in for the kill.

Lightening lit up the sky.

The girl stared with wide eyes at the shadow at her feet. She knew what it was: the shadow of an Invisible. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as she turned around. She saw the sword, glistening with a wicked light, coming down and had only just enough time to bring up her own sword in a block. She was surprised that her reflexes had told her to do this, and even more surprised that it was actually holding off the Heartless. The Invisible was strong, though, and she was forced to use both hands to hold her sword. One hand, her right, pushed against the handle, and the other's palm was pushed into the flat of the blade near the tip. The Invisible's sword connected to hers in the middle, and the girl felt hers start to crack. She knew that her trusted sword wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. She knew this was it. She knew that she'd die there, in the Second District of Traverse Town, far far away from her home. She closed her eyes and prepared herself. She would accept her fate, even if it meant death.

Her blade gave way. She heard and felt it shatter and prepared for the pain she knew she'd feel momentarily, but nothing happened.

The pieces of her sword clattered to the ground. Slowly, timidly, she opened her eyes. She wondered why the Heartless had stopped its attack. She gasped and stepped backwards so fast that she fell. Its sword was inches from her face. However, she realized with confusion a moment later that it wasn't moving at all. It seemed to be completely frozen in time, and she wondered whether she had unknowingly cast a stop spell, but she ruled that out as impossible. She had yet to learn that spell from Merlin. Also, it didn't seem to be stopped. When a creature is stopped, it is consciously aware of the fact, and anyone can notice its struggles as it tries to break free from the spell.

Also, black smoke doesn't appear at the feet of anything that's been stopped.

The smoke was thin and wispy, just as it is when a Heartless is defeated. The smoke rose and engulfed the Invisible, then it disappeared in a bright flash of light. This is the part that was unusual. She'd never seen a Heartless die with light in its wake. They were demons of the shadows, and only darkness accompanied the death of one.

The girl got an odd urge to look up.

The pounding rain had become only a sprinkle, and the moon and stars shone through the dissipating clouds. She watched the sky, and her eyes followed a single shooting star as it flashed across. One turned to two, two to four, and soon there were many more illuminating the sky with their brilliance. The odd thing about these shooting stars was that they came from somewhere over the horizon and picked a place in the sky to stay and sparkle on. With growing excitement, the girl realized that she was watching the worlds get reborn, and her feet pounded against the ground as she ran for the Third District.

When she got there, she threw open the door to the small house where her friends lived only to find that it was empty and dark. The light hanging from the ceiling was off, and it swayed slightly from the breeze that blew in behind the girl. She felt an odd sort of emptiness in her, but pushed it away as she left and pulled the door shut. She turned and leapt off the edge of the level, not even bothering to use the stairs but still landing deftly on her feet. She ran to check the Alley. She knew that Leon or perhaps Kairi would be in the secret underground cavern, at least.

When she arrived there, however, she found no one. She looked around at the damp, dark, and now empty underground chamber. She used to love coming here, but only because it seemed warm and friendly with everyone here. Now they were gone, and they'd taken the life from the place with them. Gone was Leon with his silent presence; gone was Yuffie with her bubbling cheerfulness; gone was Aerith with her delightful company; gone was Kairi with her wonderful stories. This place now felt as lonely and empty as the house had. _What's going on? Where is everyone?_ she wondered. She stiffly went up the stone stairs at the end opposite the alley, her footsteps echoing around the chamber. She was almost scared of what she'd find in Merlin's home.

She got to the top and looked at the floating platform. Even it seemed more desolate to her. She slowly climbed on and stood, almost losing her balance as it journeyed upwards. She closed her eyes as she let it take her up into the abandoned house that Merlin used. She waited for the light and the warmth of his one-room house to engulf her, but even when the platform stopped she didn't feel any kind of warmth. She only felt somehow colder.

She opened her eyes and almost cried out. Merlin was still there, but he was closing his magic, mystical bag. All of his things were gone. The walls were bare, and the furniture was all packed away. The room was empty save for the dank, dark, cold table which Merlin's bag was rested on. "W-What's going on?" the girl asked.

Merlin turned to her with weary eyes, wondering who his company was. He gave her a small, cheerful smile when he saw who it was. "Today is a happy occasion, Tara," he told her. "Sora defeated Ansem. The worlds have all returned to normal."

"Then, the others... They're at their home worlds?" Tara asked anxiously, wanting to make sure she knew exactly where her friends were. "And if all the worlds are back, then... That means that mine is, too, right?" Excitement showed clearly in her eyes at the thought of this. "I can go back home, right? I can see my family and my friends again, right?"

Merlin's smiled turned sad now. "It depends," he said, looking down at his bag and resting an old, worn hand on the handle. Tara eyed him with a look that asked "on what?", though she said nothing. "It depends," he continued, "on what you choose." He sucked in a deep breath and began. "The Heartless are gone for now, but not for good. Sora's friend, Riku, and King Mickey are deep inside the Heartless lair. It is Sora's mission to find and release them. When he gets close, the Heartless will become stronger and will come out to try again and kill the Key Blade Master. The Heartless will once again roam the worlds." He looked at her now, knowing that he had to tell her, even though he didn't want to.

"You, Tara, have a choice. You can either go back to your home where you can live with your family once more, or you can stay here and wait for the Heartless to come back. If you go, I will personally make sure the Heartless stay away from your world, and, in time, you will forget about everything that's happened since you left. You will see it all as a fleeting dream you had one night, as will everyone else. If you stay, however, tough times will be ahead, and it is possible that you will never again see your family or your home. The people of your world will even forget that you ever existed. I can guarantee only one thing, and that is this: you will not be alone." His smile wavered, for he did hate to see this child troubled in any way.

She stood there with her mouth agape. On her face she knew was a pained expression. How could she possibly choose? She knew it was selfish of her, but she couldn't help it. The only thing she ever truly wanted was to see her parents and her home again. She'd only been separated from them for a little more than two weeks, but it was torture just waiting that long. And besides, from what she'd heard, Sora could take care of himself, right? He had plenty of friends to help him along the way; what good could she do?

Somehow, though, she couldn't go back. She couldn't bear to face her parents again knowing that she'd returned to them because it was the easier choice. Even if she thought it was a dream, she would never be able to erase the guilt she'd feel. She knew she had only one choice, even if it would hurt her.

"I'll stay," she said determinedly. She put on a brave front, but the pain was evident in her eyes.

Merlin walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She was dwarfed by him, but she didn't feel intimidated at all. "I'm so sorry, Tara," he whispered. "Just remember that you will not be alone. Always hold your family and friends close to your heart, and never forget them. When the Heartless come, I will return, and so will everyone else along with a few additions. You will even fight side by side with Sora."

Tara's eyes brightened. She'd never met Sora, but she'd heard the stories of him from Leon and Kairi. There had been few times when she'd gone looking for him on another world using a gummy ship Cid had made for her, but she'd always come back only to find that he'd just left Traverse Town. After a while of this world-hopping, she decided to wait for him to come back. He didn't, of course, for he was on his final mission then. Tara had always wanted to meet him, the Keyblade Master. Even this, though, couldn't erase her despair at the grim possibility that she'd never see her parents again.

"Take care," Merlin told her. He walked back over to his bag and grabbed it, then walked out the door and disappeared by some sort of ancient magic only he possessed.

"Take care," Tara repeated to the empty room. It seemed so cold in there at the moment that she didn't even realize she was crying.


	2. Return

Welcome back to a whole new chapter of No End In Sight! I hope I get some more awesome reviewers... Cough... Cough... Anyway, first I must do the Disclaimer.

**:Disclaimer:**

**Leiko: **Welcome back, idiots.  
**Akana: **Eh... heh... You see, we've been working on her people skills... It's a work in progress, but at least we got her to say "welcome"! She usually never says that!  
**Leiko: **Whatever. We don't own any characters here except --  
**Akana: **TARA! Teehee!  
**Leiko: **... Yeah... Meaning, we don't --  
**Akana: **Own anyone from any of the Final Fantasy games, Disney movies, or Kingdom Hearts itself! Although we really wish we did!  
**Leiko: **... You're getting on my nerves. Shut up before I kill you.  
**Akana: **You're no fun! 'pouts' Besides, that's violence, and since this is a K+ rated fic, you can't do that to me! 'sticks out tongue'  
**Leiko: **Just remember, we have to do disclaimers in other stories, too. Most of them are T.  
**Akana: **'gulps'

**:End Disclaimer:**

Eh... heh... My two selves are fighting... Joy... Anyway, please enjoy the story, and don't hesitate to use that _lovely_ little review button down at the bottom!

**Warning: **Possible OOC. I'm not sure exactly how Kairi or Sora would react in a situation like this, so I just made something up. Don't kill me! 'hides'

**Chapter 2: Return **

**.:Destiny Islands:.**

_It's been two years,_ Kairi thought glumly, staring out over the ocean. She watched the sun as it set beyond the horizon, vaguely remembering a boy she used to know. She looked to her side and, for a moment, she could see him and hear an echo of his voice, responding to something she'd said. "_You're the one who's changed, Kairi."_

"Maybe..." she whispered with a pained expression. "Sora, don't ever change." She drew her legs up and hugged them close to her.

"I asked the others, but they just say it was all only a dream I had one night. They don't remember anything at all." She spoke as if he were right there, listening, even though she knew he wasn't. "They don't remember anymore, not even Tidus. I ask about who he used to train with, and he asks me what do I mean, he's always trained alone.

"The past two years have been long ones, and even I'm starting to forget. I can hardly remember what you look like anymore. I have to go to the secret place every day just to be sure that you even existed. When I go there, I close my eyes and try to remember you, remember what color your hair was or your eyes, but I can't. I just can't.

"Sometimes I even forget to go to the secret place. Yesterday, I forgot to go, and I forgot your name this morning. I don't want to forget you, but it's so hard... So hard..." She was choking back her tears now. "Sora, I miss you, and sometimes I wonder if you'll ever come back..."

Kairi stood now, still looking across the ocean. A slight breeze ruffled her hair, which she kept at the same length as she always had, just above her shoulders. She stepped onto the beach and walked along, trying desperately to remember something. Something about two boys. One had just walked up and was sitting beside the other. "Sora and Riku," Kairi whispered softly. "I'll race you..."

A moment is all it took. They glanced at each other, and then the two images were off, racing each other. Kairi ran behind, smiling and even laughing a little in spite of her sadness. Only when she passed under the bridge did she remember that it wasn't real. The boys disappeared, and Kairi slowed to a stop, her smile instantly leaving her face as she looked at the sky. It was dark now; the sun had set. She watched the motionless stars, wishing she could see the two boys again. The memory of them had been so vivid. She'd been able to see the color of their hair and eyes, even the clothes they wore. The memory was gone now, though, and she no longer knew what they looked like or what the other boy's name was.

"Did you have silver hair, Sora?" Kairi whispered to the sky. "No, not silver. Yours wasn't silver." She shut her eyes tightly, trying to recall the memory. "Sora, who were you? What were you like? The other boy... Was he friend or enemy? I have so many questions for you, but you aren't around to answer any of them..." She was so wrapped up in trying to remember details of the two that she didn't even notice when she fell backwards onto the sand. She lay there on her back, eyes closed, not moving for the longest time. When she finally did stir it was the middle of the night, and she'd just awoken from a light sleep.

The first thing she did was gasp. A shiver went down her spine as she leapt to her feet, her eyes fixed on the sky where a large red ball had appeared. The amazement and fear she felt rooted her to the spot. She couldn't tear her eyes away. Against her protests, she took a step towards it, her mouth forming two words that three different people had unknowingly all said on a certain night two years ago.

"The raft!"

"Kairi!"

She turned slowly. _That voice...!_ "Sora!" Her heart leapt with joy. He was there. He was really there. This was no dream. This was real. _Your hair is brown!_ she thought with childlike delight.

Sora ran to her and grabbed her hand. "C'mon! We have to get out of here!" he told her in a slightly panicked voice.

"You came back!" Kairi said in surprise, almost as if she hadn't really thought he would. She followed Sora as he led the way to who-knew where.

He turned to grin at her while still running. "Of course," he replied. "I promised, didn't I?"

_"I'll come back to you! I promise!"_

_"I know you will!"_

It all came back to Kairi. All of her memories about the island, Riku, Sora, everything. A raft, then a storm. Strange shadows on her island. Then came darkness. A savior, new faces, and explanations from strangers of what'd happened. She'd given Sora something important to her and said she was always with him. He'd left, and they'd met again as the island was reforming. Opposite sides of a great chasm... A shouted promise to return... Her memories were there again, _all _of them!

Everything came back to her with such force that she would've stopped and perhaps passed out if Sora hadn't been pulling her along. As it were, she only stumbled a bit, blinking and shaking her head vigorously. The memories that'd been stored away for two years were all present once again, and she now remembered Sora and Riku and everyone. She could close her eyes and remember exactly what they looked like and what they were like. Riku was the one with silver hair, not Sora.

"Yeah, you did promise," Kairi answered dumbly. Sora, still grinning, turned back ahead to make sure he could see where they were going.

Suddenly, something jumped on Kairi from behind. She tried to scream, but her voice caught in her throat. She remembered the cold, clammy, empty feeling of the Heartless. She'd encountered them before, and she knew it wasn't good to have one on your back. What it would do to her, she didn't know; the one time a Heartless had tried to get her heart, Sora had come and had, inadvertently, saved her.

When Sora felt the tug on his hand that signaled Kairi had stopped, he knew something was wrong. He turned back around, and his keyblade was in his hand in less than a second. "Kairi, get down!" he commanded. Kairi obliged, throwing herself onto the ground and covering her head with her hands. Sora's keyblade swept easily through the weak Heartless. It was only a Shadow, after all.

He helped her up, and the two continued running. "Where are we going?" Kairi asked. It seemed as though they'd been running for hours, but it'd only been a few minutes.

"The secret place," Sora answered without hesitation.

_That place..._ Kairi thought. _That's where... That's where the door is!_

They came to the base of the large tree and pushed past the weeds that grew upside down from the top and that covered a hidden entrance. The two ran in, their echoing footsteps and heavy breathing the only sounds in the tunnel. When they got to the main cave, they slowed, and Sora glanced behind them for any signs of pursuit. When there were none, he relaxed, and leaned against the wall.

Kairi stared at him. "Sora," she said after a few minutes' hesitation, "is that really you? Are you really back, or is this just a cruel dream?"

"I'm really here, Kairi," he said, giving her another of his wonderful grins. "And soon Riku's going to be here, too. I'm going to find him and bring him back. Then I'll seal the door again and restore all the worlds back to normal. We'll all be able to come back here and enjoy life like we did before any of it happened!"

Kairi looked at him and felt her eyes brim with tears. "You're actually here," she whispered. "Sora..." She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're back!"

Sora hugged her back. It was all he could do to keep from breaking down into tears of joy as well. Two years of searching for a way to bring back Riku, two years of searching for a way back home, and he finally knew how to do it. It was just a matter of time before everything was alright. They could resume their old goal of building the raft and visit new places, see new sites. Just because they'd visited other worlds didn't mean that there wasn't more to their own, after all. The best part about it, though, was that he would be with his best friends again. He'd miss all his new friends, of course, but they'd always be in his heart.

Eventually he pulled away. "It's time to go," Sora said, holding onto Kairi's arms. "The others are waiting on the gummy ship, Highwind." Sharing a secret smile about the name, they both looked at the old, worn door that was embedded in the stone. A bright light flashed, and the worn door became a magnificent one. Sora turned the handle, and another blinding flash of light lit the cave as the door opened. When it disappeared, they were gone.

**.:Traverse Town:. **

Her long, black jacket fluttered around her ankles as she walked. The chains on her baggy, black, silver-lined pants jangled and clinked together. She wore a silver shirt with a black dragon imprinted on the front, and her gloves were black and fingerless. She stood at a height of about 5 feet. Strapped across her back were two special sheaths with two special (and repaired by the "finest blacksmith in Traverse Town") swords. Her black hair fell to the middle of her back, and a pendant on a necklace around her neck glowed brightly. Her red eyes pierced the darkness of the Third District's night, searching, as always, for any signs of return.

_It's been two years,_ Tara thought absently. _Two years of loneliness... Two years of waiting for them to come back... I know Merlin would never lie to me, but is it possible that he was mistaken? Is it possible that the Heartless won't come back, and that I missed the only chance to see my family and friends again?_

_No, _she assured herself. _No. Merlin isn't mistaken. The Heartless will return, and when they do, I will see everyone again. _Remembering the promise made to her, she smiled. _I'll even get to meet Sora, the famous Keyblade Master!_

Tara stood next to the door of the small house that held so many pleasant memories. She opened the door slightly, and in the gloom she swore she could see the familiar images of her friends. There was Leon standing near the stacked up boxes, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Yuffie was sitting on the edge of the table swinging her legs as she talked about anything that came to mind. Aerith was also there, sitting at a chair with her hands in her lap and listening politely to Yuffie. Kairi was sitting in another chair, but her gaze was towards the swinging light in the center of the ceiling. Her eyes were glazed over, and she was obviously thinking about Sora. Everyone stopped what they were doing when the door opened, though, and they all looked at Tara.

A gust of wind blew from the outside in. The images faded as the light rattled.

Tara heaved a great sigh and closed the door._ It will do no good to daydream_, she told herself as she leapt over the edge of the level and landed on the stone below. She scanned the district, looking for even the slightest hint of a Heartless.

What was that? A Shadow?

Yes, a shadow; her own shadow. Not a Heartless.

She gave a small sigh and walked over to the fountain in a corner of the street. She sat down, leaned against it, and closed her eyes. She could at least be grateful for one thing; no one ever came to the Third District. Though the Heartless were gone, the entire section of the city was thought to be haunted. Everyone stayed in the First and Second Districts. Amazing how a few random blasts of fire from a certain hidden person can scare people away...

She was jolted awake from her light nap as the dull sound of the town's large clock permeated the silence. Her eyes opened again, and she silently counted the chimes. It was just a habit of hers that was hard to get out of. _1, 2, 3, _she counted.

A fleeting movement somewhere off to the side caught Tara's eye. She turned her head sharply, but if anything had ever been there, it was gone now.

_4, 5, 6, _she continued. It was automatic now. Once she started, she couldn't stop until the clock did.

The sound of scuttling feet made Tara jerk her head in the opposite way. She caught a brief glimpse of something. She stood, her hands immediately going behind her head to the hilts of her swords.

_7, 8, 9, _her mind chanted.

She pulled the swords from their sheaths. Her eyes darted to and fro as she searched for any signs of life. Something was there, she knew. Something was hiding. The only question was what?

Chimes ten and eleven echoed throughout Traverse Town and Tara's mind as she counted them. She crouched low to the ground, staying on her guard for her hidden enemy.

"12," she whispered aloud.

It was as though a button had been pressed or a trigger pulled. Shadow Heartless instantly sprang forth from their hiding places and leapt at her. Cursing and smirking at the same time, Tara deftly snapped her wrists and killed the first wave. The rest didn't fall back; they continuously came forth, their numbers only increasing as she cut them down.

She steadily and almost rhythmatically sliced through them. Her motions were fluid, powerful, and efficient. In those two years of loneliness, she had quelled the longing for companionship by training hard. Her skills in fighting had increased dramatically. No enemy could stand against her now, not even an Invisible.

Soon, different types of Heartless came and attacked. First there were the Soldiers, still an easily defeated enemy. Next came the various flying mages: Red Nocturnes, Yellow Operas, Blue Rhapsodies, and Green Requiems. A fat Heartless called a Large Body rose up from the darkness after that, but Tara disposed of it quickly before it could cause too much damage. The Heartless continued to appear, getting stronger and stronger, until there were two Defenders, three Gargoyles, six or seven Darkballs (it was hard to count since they were constantly on the move), two of each of the flying mages, eight Soldiers, and fifteen Shadows. Finally, the numbers ceased, but the army they'd built up was indeed formidable.

Needless to say, Tara was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

The Defenders each cast blizzard spells, but Tara leapt out of range. Two of the Gargoyles flew in to attack with their claws, but they were forced to retreat as gleaming steel flashed in front of them. Tara was forced to keep constantly on the move, hacking away at any opponents that came close. At one point she was forced to throw up her left-hand sword and shout, "Fira!" About six Shadows that were in front of her met with a fiery death. She caught the sword again and had to leap aside as a Red Nocturne shot a fire attack at her.

Tara soon became exhausted. She'd managed to reduce the numbers to one Defender, one Gargoyle, two Darkballs, two Green Requiems, one Yellow Opera, six Soldiers, and three Shadows, but the fight was taking a great toll on her. When once her attacks would've felled three Soldiers at once, she only felled one. The Green Requiems weren't helping any with their healing powers, but they always danced away from her attacks just before she could cut them down. The Gargoyle and Defender were especially annoying, considering that they were strongest.

The Yellow Opera cast a lightning attack, but Tara rolled to the right to avoid it. Unfortunately, a Soldier was there, and it tore at her with its claws. Her jacket was ripped to shreds, but she leapt to her feet and stabbed a sword through the chest of the despicable being. The three Shadows instantly came down upon her back, their claws tearing more than just fabric. With a great cry, she dropped the sword in her left hand and reached back to pluck them off. The Gargoyle swept down upon her, but her eyes flashed angrily. She dropped her other sword, the one in her right hand, and cast a firaga spell at it. It landed on the ground in a heap of flames.

The other Heartless didn't mourn the death of their ally. Two of the Soldiers leapt over their burning companion before it disappeared and attempted to attack her, but she leapt to the side, taking the Shadows on her back with her. This action only served to put her in the way of the Defender, which was only too happy to send a fireball her way. She was forced to dodge that as well as keep away from where the Darkballs sped jerkily back and forth. All the while, the little Green Requiems leered above, sprinkling the healing green light that touched only the Heartless.

Tara fell to her knees. This was too much for her to bear. The Heartless gathered around her, and she knew that they all knew she was on the verge of unconsciousness. She felt the icy cold grip of death close in around her, and she knew it would all be over soon. She collapsed forward onto the ground, the Shadows still mercilessly scraping their claws against her back. Her weary eyes closed, and a single thought came to mind. _Mother... Father... I'm sorry..._

That was when a voice called out her name. The sound rang in her ears. She knew that voice... Kairi? Could it really be her?

The pressure on her back was soon lifted. The Shadows were gone, and from the commotion around her, it seemed that the rest of the Heartless were being taken care of. She felt a presence by her side and somehow knew it to be Kairi. She let out a small groan of pain as she tried to get up, but a hand pressed gently against her shoulder. "It's alright now, Tara," she said. "Sora, Donald, and Goofy are taking care of it."

Soon, the sounds of battle ceased. She felt herself being lifted from the ground by someone's strong arms. "Donald, can you cure her?" a boy's voice asked.

"Of course I can!" a voice that sounded like a duck's answered. "Cura!"

Tara felt her wounds close up once again. Her strength was returning to her, but she still felt sore. She managed to open her eyes a crack, and she knew she would always remember her first glimpse of her role model, the Keyblade Master.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked anxiously. Kairi was standing next to him, looking worriedly at her. There were two more people, also. One was tall and looked rather like a dog. Another looked like a duck and had to stand on tiptoes just to see her. Tara nodded in response to the question, and everyone smiled in relief. "You should get some rest. That was a pretty bad battle."

"Okay," she muttered absently. She didn't need to be told. She was already halfway there.


	3. Memories and Bad News

Sorry it's taken so long for me to update! I've had a lot of stuff going on lately, but I finally got the chapter finished.

**:Disclaimer:**

**Akana: **Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!  
**Leiko: **She's excited. If you can't tell.  
**Akana: **Well, DUH I'm excited! Kingdom Hearts 2 is coming out here in LaGrange on Saturday! And I'm totally going to beg dad to get it!  
**Leiko: **Because he'll actually buy it for us.  
**Akana: **... Are you being sarcastic?  
**Leiko: **No, of _course_ not. Now, can we get on with this?  
**Akana: **Oh, fine. We don't own anyone, unfortunately, but we may soon own Kingdom Hearts 2 the game! But none of the characters.

**:End Disclaimer:**

Enjoy the story!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Memories and Bad News**

**.:Tara's Home, The Past:.**

_"Tara, hurry!" a woman said as she used her right hand to pull the fourteen-year-old girl along with her. The woman's hair was dark brown and waist-length. Her auburn colored dress that reached to her ankles fluttered behind her as she ran. She wore a white pendant around her neck that seemed to give off its own light: the very same pendant that Tara later received. In her left hand was a torch that lit up the night. Her soft brown eyes were kept focused on the path in the forest ahead._

_Tara, wearing her black pants and shirt along with her swords on her back, stumbled along behind. "What about Dad?" she asked anxiously, glancing over her shoulder. "Will he be okay? What will happen to him and all the others?" She looked back ahead. "Mom, what will happen to _us

_Tara's mom was silent. When she did speak, it was in a strangled sort of voice laden with unshed tears. "I don't know. I just don't know."_

_Tara could feel the tears come to her eyes, but she forced them back down. She wouldn't cry. She would be strong, like her mom. She continuously told herself that everything would be fine, and that nothing would happen to her father or her friends. After all, her dad was far too strong a swordsman for those odd monsters to defeat, especially since the one who controlled them was a weak-looking, fifteen-year-old boy._

_Suddenly, one of those monsters appeared in front of her mom. It was a small, hunched bundle of darkness with curved attenaes potruding from its head. Tara screamed, but her mom remained calm. She let go of Tara's hand and held her hand in front of her, palm facing the unknown being. "Firaga!" she shouted. A huge blast of fire completely engulfed the Shadow, and the two continued running as if nothing had happened._

_It wasn't long before they reached their destination. A large cave loomed ahead of them, and it was into here that they ran. The cave split into many different branches, each dreary, cold, and dark. Tara's mom led her into the one fourth from the left, and their hurried footsteps echoed throughout the entire network of tunnels._

_They soon came to a dead-end. They stopped, and the mom turned to her daughter. "Wait here," she said. "Those monsters shouldn't be able to find you here. If they do," she glanced at Tara's swords, "remember that they are easily slain by steel and magic." She smiled. "Your skills in both magic and swordsmanship are great. Always remember the lessons your father and I gave you about fighting, courage, and loyalty. Never lose hope, and never lose this." She lifted her necklace over her head and placed it gently around Tara's neck before handing her the torch. She then stood and started running in the direction they came._

_"Wait!" Tara called. "Where are you going?"_

_She stopped and smiled over her shoulder. "To check on your father," she answered. She was about to start running again, but she heard the sound of footsteps and froze._

_The footsteps grew louder and louder as the owner of them came closer and closer. Soon, a certain silver-haired, blue-eyed youth came into sight. He stopped a few yards from Tara's mom. It was hard to Tara to make him out in the gloom. "Where is it?" the boy asked. Though Tara didn't know it at the time, the deep voice didn't belong to the body which stood there._

_Tara's mom gave him a deadly glare. "I don't know what you're talking about," she answered stonily._

_"The pendant," he told her in a bored sort of voice. "Just hand it over and I might spare your life."_

_The mom spat. "I would never give something so precious to the likes of you!" she snarled._

_He let out a mocking sigh. "I had hoped that I wouldn't be forced to resort to violence," he said. Yet, even as he said it, he was grinning at the thought of being able to kill yet another innocent person. "I will give you one last chance. Hand it over, or I will be forced to take it."_

_"Go ahead and try!" she shouted. She held up a hand and yelled, "Firaga!" A large blast of fire shot from her hand and headed towards the boy._

_"Guardian, come forth!" he called. A black mass that was barely visible in the darkness came up from the shadows and floated in front of him. The dark Heartless took the damage from the attack, yet it seemed to be completely unharmed. It retreated back into the darkness once the attack was over, but if one looked carefully, he could the dim outline of it as it floated behind the boy._

_"Impossible!" Tara's mother said, taken aback._

_The boy grinned. "Have it your way," he said. In his right hand a dark, wicked-looking sword appeared. Armed with this, he attacked her._

_Cursing, she leapt away from the attack. She heard Tara scream a warning and she turned around to find four Shadows leaping at her. She lifted both of her hands and, shouting another "Firaga", shot fire at them. They dropped onto the ground in mid-jump, dancing around insanely while trying to put the flames out. After a few moments of this, they finally just flopped onto the ground and disappeared._

_Tara let the torch drop to the ground and pulled out her swords. She took a few steps towards the battle, but her mom glared at her. "Stay out of it," she commanded._

_"But -- "_

_Her mother held out a hand and pointed her palm towards her daughter. "Stopga!" she shouted._

_Tara felt her limbs seize up. She wanted to cry out, but even her mouth was frozen in place. Her body trembled as she tried to break free from her invisible bonds, but it was no use. She was trapped, and the only thing she could do was watch the battle._

_The boy was right behind her mom now. Tara tried to yell out a warning, but in her paralyzed state, she couldn't. She didn't think it would've mattered even if she had been able to, anyway. The boy had already stabbed his sword threw her mom's stomach, smirking in malice._

_Tara watched with horror as her mom slumped to the ground, eyes glazed and unseeing. The boy pulled the sword from her stomach, and she collapsed on the ground. He then advanced upon the girl, who was still held by the stop spell her mother cast. "Give it to me," he said in a low, menacing tone._

_The pendant around her neck glowed brightly, even in the darkness of the cave. It was this that the boy was eyeing greedily. He held his sword, stained with blood, high above his head. Tara could only watch in horror as it came down towards her. She struggled against her bonds, but try as she might, she couldn't do a thing to get out of the way._

**

* * *

.:Traverse Town, The Present:. **

Tara sat straight up, panting and breathing hard. She calmed down a little when she saw that she was in the Green Room of the Second District's hotel and not on her home world. Her hand automatically went up to her pendant. She ran her fingers over its smooth surface before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked around the room in confusion. _How'd I get here? _she wondered. Her mind was still cloudy, but slowly she remembered what'd happened the night before. _That's right... The Heartless attacked me, but Kairi and Sora saved me..._

Her heart leapt. Sora had saved her! _The_ Sora! She sprang out of bed and rushed over to the door that led to the red room. She put her hand on the handle, but stopped herself from turning it when she heard muffled voices from inside the room. She silently knelt down and pressed her ear against the door so she could hear better.

"Kairi, I want you to stay here," said a boy's voice. Tara vaguely recognized it as belonging to the one who saved her, Sora.

"No!" came Kairi's familiar determined voice. "If there really is a way to save him, then I want to help! He's my friend, too!"

"Riku told me to take care of you," Sora told her. "He wouldn't forgive me if I put you in that kind of danger, because I might not be able to protect you at all times."

Tara's eyes widened. That name, Riku... She remembered Kairi telling her about him, and she always wondered if it was the same boy who had come to her world. She sprang up and opened the door. "I'm coming," she stated firmly in a no-argument kind of voice.

Sora turned towards her, startled a bit. "Wha..?"

"I'm coming," she repeated. She looked at Kairi now. "Sora's probably right; it's too dangerous for you. You should stay here with Leon and the others. I'll be alright, though. I can fight and take care of myself. I'll find Riku for you, I promise."

"Tara…"

Tara smiled at Kairi, and then looked back towards Sora. "Well?" she asked. "What do you say?"

What _could_ he say? He knew that she wasn't actually asking a question. She was going to come with him, even if she had to sneak on his gummy ship. All he could do was sigh and submit. "Fine…" he said. "You can come with me… But you've got to stay close so I can protect you!"

Tara couldn't help. She let out a small laugh. "I don't need protection," she told him. "I'll be just fine on my own. So, where to first?"

"First," Sora answered, "we go see Leon."

Sora led the group of three. Kairi followed him, and Tara stayed behind, keeping an eye out for Heartless.

Tara could barely contain her excitement as they walked to the small house in the Second District. Her heartbeat sped up with every step she took, and it was hard to keep the grin from her face. _Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid… I'm finally going to see you all again!_

They got there, and Sora opened the door to reveal the familiar sight of their friends. Cid was talking about gummy ships, and it was obvious that he was boring everyone in the room. Yuffie was sitting on the table like always with her legs swinging over the side, trying to think of something to do to pass the time. Aerith, however, was sitting politely in her chair, pretending to listen to him. Two people that Tara hadn't met until last night, the dog-like knight and the duck-like mage, were also in there. The duck was arguing with Cid about the best way to arrange the gummy pieces, and the dog was just scratching his head and trying not to get too confused.

"Hey, where's Leon?" Sora asked.

Yuffie looked up. "Y'mean Squall?" she asked casually, smirking. She knew that he hated it when she called him that. "He's in that secret underground waterway. Why?"

"I just need to talk to him about something," Sora answered.

Yuffie shrugged slightly, and then looked behind him and Kairi and Tara. "Hey, you two are here, too!" She waved cheerfully.

Aerith stared at Sora for a few minutes. "What is it that you need to talk about?" she asked. "Perhaps we could help you two find some answers and explanations."

Yuffie glanced over her shoulder at Cid, Donald, and Goofy. "What's she's trying to say," she explained, "is 'Can we come too? Pleeeeeeeeeease?'"

Tara grinned. They were just like she remembered them… Aerith always was the one who never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings. She was far too well-mannered for that sort of thing. Yuffie, however, really didn't seem to care. She was just a bundle of energy who spoke her mind, no matter what.

"Well, what are waiting for?" Kairi asked, eyes sparkling. "Let's go!" She turned and started walking. Yuffie slid off the table and Aerith stood up calmly. The two followed Kairi, and Tara followed them. Sora turned towards the door as well, but stopped and looked over his shoulder at Donald and Goofy.

"Um... guys?"

"No, there should be cannons on the bottom of the gummy ship!" Donald quacked. "That's thte only way to get the Heartless ships that are below you!"

"What about the ones up top!" Cid countered. "The cannons should be up there, protecting the ship from attacks from above!"

"Why not just put them on the sides?" Goofy suggested. "Or on both the top and the bottom?"

Cid and Donald stopped to consider this for a moment, but then shook their heads. "Nah!" they both responded at the same time. They went back to arguing, and Sora just shook his head and followed the rest out.

* * *

"What?" Leon gave Sora a stern, hard look. 

"It's true," he said, giving a confirming nod. "Ansem's back, and he's after more than just the power of the Heartless. I still don't know what, though."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Aerith asked, disbelief written all over her face. "There's no way you could be mistaken?"

Sora shook his head. "I saw him," he answered. "He was on one of the other worlds. I tried fighting him, but he escaped." Sora clenched his fists in anger, remembering how his best friend Riku had been used by Ansem two years ago.

"This is horrible!" Yuffie wailed. "What if he finds this power he's looking for! What will happen then!"

"He's the reason the Heartless are back, isn't he?" Kairi asked, her voice trembling. "Sora, you... you have to make him pay for what he's done!"

While the others were all talking and reacting to the news, Tara just leaned against the wall of the cave, feeling numb. _Ansem..._ she thought. She closed her eyes and remembered what'd happened on the day her world disappeared.

**

* * *

.:Tara's Home, The Past:. **

_The pendant around her neck glowed brightly, even in the darkness of the cave. It was this that the boy was eyeing greedily. He held his sword, stained with blood, high above his head. Tara could only watch in horror as it came down towards her. She struggled against her bonds, but try as she might, she couldn't do a thing to get out of the way._

_Suddenly, an invisible force stopped his hand. He was straining to move, but he couldn't. Something in his eyes changed. "No," he muttered, his eyes closed now. "No! I won't... I won't let you harm another person!" This voice... It was different from the one that had been talking. It seemed to suit the body more. "Stop using me, Ansem!"_

_The old, deep voice took over once more. "Shut up, insolent boy!" he snarled._

_Tara was confused, to say the least. What was going on? Why was he talking to himself? Was this boy possessed by something or perhaps someone? That name, Ansem... Tara buried the name inside her memory._

_There was obviously an internal struggle. Finally, the boy opened his eyes. They were filled with a determined but strained light. "Get out of here!" he told her. "Run, now! You have to escape!"_

_Tara could feel her muscles start to loosen up as the spell began to wear away. She flexed her jaw muscles as a test, then croaked out, "But... I can't just leave you... You need my help..."_

_"Just go! I can't hold him back much longer..." For an instant, his eyes flashed back to those cold, empty eyes. Then they were normal once more. "Leave!"_

_"But -- "_

_"I said _GO!

_The force of his words was enough to get her moving. Her leg muscles were working almost properly once more, and so she stumbled around the boy and ran back towards the opening of the cave. Behind her, she heard the clatter of a sword, and she knew the boy was still fighting -- and perhaps even winning -- against this Ansem person. _Good luck, _she thought, though she knew it wouldn't help him._

_She ran out of the cave and into the night air. It was only when she was outside that she realized what she really wanted -- no, had -- to do: go back in and help that boy. She didn't know quite how she'd do it, but she knew she wanted to save him. She turned and was about to head back into the cave when she saw something black rise from the ground. Was it another of those demons that had attacked her and her mom?_

_Tara drew her swords instinctively and set her feet apart in a fighting stance. She was shaking in fear and her palms were sweaty, but she acted as though it were nothing. _It's just like the forest animals I hunt around here,_ she told herself reassuringly. _It's nothing different. _Yet she still couldn't erase the nervousness._

_As the thing took shape, she recognized it as that odd human-like beast that the boy had called "Guardian". It reached a long, wispy hand towards her. She swallowed her lump of fear and swiped at it with her swords. It recoiled, letting out a hissing sort of sound. Did that mean that it was afraid of her?_

_Her pendant was still glowing. It was soon obvious to her that this is what the Guardian was trying to get, but she refused to let the beast have it. Knowing that it was afraid of her gave her some measure of courage, and she attacked it with her blades again; however, it simply danced away._

_These careful maneuvers were repeated again and again. Tara soon grew frustrated, though, and her attacks became increasingly foolish and reckless. The Guardian saw this and chose to take advantage of her in her blind rage. It kept dodging each attack, all the while luring her back into the cave. The cave held darkness untouched by any moon's light, and so it was the perfect place for it. Also, she would soon tire, being that she was only a mortal, and this would be the perfect opportunity to attack._

_The cave's darkness surrounded her, but Tara didn't realize it. She continuously swung her sword around like a bumbling fool, not at all like someone who'd been trained for five years by the best swordsman in the country, her father._

_The Guardian's plan was working. The further they went into the cave, the stronger it became and the more tired Tara became. She finally understood it's plan, but it was far too late for her to do anything. She'd backed herself into a corner. All she could do was fight back and pray for safety._

_The Guardian became bold enough to let one of her attacks hit. It blocked with its arm and was hardly affected by the blow. Tara could swear she saw it smirking as it blocked a few more of her attacks. Finally, it reached out once more for the pendant. Tara tried in vain to attack it with her swords, but it brushed off the blows._

_Suddenly, a bright light filled the entire cave. Tara closed her eyes and brought her arms in front of her to shield herself from the light. She could somehow feel a warmth that contrasted with the coldness of the cave around her, but she didn't know where it came from._

That light,_ she thought. _It's coming from the pendant... I was saved?

_When the light faded, she was in a strange town. A nearby sign had bright letters that spelled out, _Traverse Town.


	4. A Sparring Partner

This makes me really sad in my heart. All my reviewers abandoned me. That's the main reason why it took so long this time. :s But really, I don't blame any of you. I probably would've abandoned me, too. But still, I mean, not even a _single_ review! Meh, oh well, I'll deal.

**:Disclaimer:**

**Akana:** Wah! Not fair!  
**Leiko: **Shut _up_ already!  
**Akana: **But... But... No one left a review...  
**Leiko: **Yeah, so deal with it. Anyway, we don't own anything relating to Kingdom Hearts, so don't sue us.  
**Akana: **Yeah, especially when you don't even give reviews. 'sniffle'  
**Leiko: **'rolls eyes'

**:End Disclaimer:**

So, yeah... I'd really appreciate some reviews this time around. Please. Pretty pretty please. With sugar on top. Well, I hope you enjoy!

**

* * *

Chapter 4, A Sparring Partner  
.:Traverse Town:.**

"Hello? Anybody in there? Traverse Town to Tara..."

Tara opened her eyes, startled, to see Yuffie. "Oh! Sorry," she said, shaking her head a bit to get rid of the memories in her head about that day, two years and two weeks ago.

"What's up?" Yuffie asked. "Your eyes were closed and you were totally spaced out! What were you thinking about?"

"Just the past," she responded simply, shrugging like it was no big deal, which it really wasn't at all. She looked over at Leon and Sora to see that they were still talking, now about what to do next.

"The door to your friend Riku and King Mickey is still out there somewhere," Leon told Sora. "You should keep looking for it, but first I think you should go see Merlin and tell him what's happened."

"Merlin's back!" Tara exclaimed, rushing over to the two. "Why didn't you say so earlier!" Delight shone in her eyes as she ran up the stairs leading to the secret platform that floated up to Merlin's house.

Sora put his hands behind his head in a casual manner. "She seems really excited," he commented.

"Merlin's sort of been like a grandfather to her," Kairi explained. "She told me that her real grandfather died when she was young, and I guess she thinks of Merlin as a replacement."

"Hurry up!" Tara's voice echoed from the top of the stairs. "C'mon, you two!"

Sora shrugged and put his arms down. "Well, I guess we should get going, then." He was about to start up the stairs when Aerith stopped him.

"Wait," she said. "Take this." She held out a keychain that looked like it took a long time to make. It was in the shape of a star that was made of deep blue denim and outlined in red yarn. In the center, a smaller star was outlined in more red yarn. It was definitely an odd keychain. "It will transform your keyblade into the Friendship Keyblade. The more friends you make along your journey, the stronger the keyblade will become with this."

"Hey, thanks!" Sora said. He gladly accepted the keychain. When he attached it to his Keyblade, the color from the keychain spread rapidly along the keyblade, turning it the same deep blue with the same red outline. Sora stared at it and then grinned at Aerith before heading up the stairs after Kairi and Tara.

"You should've told him that it was from Squall," Yuffie commented once he was out of hearing range, leaning against the wall. She glanced over at Leon and smirked when she saw the glare he was giving her. She never tired of using his real name.

"If he'd wanted me to tell," Aerith explained with a knowing smile, "he wouldn't've given it to me to give to Sora. Right, Leon?"

Leon said nothing. He crossed his arms and stood as impassive as ever, though Aerith was indeed right.

* * *

"Merlin!" Tara exclaimed when the magical platform brought them into the warm, cozy, one room house that served as Merlin's living quarters. It was exactly like she remembered it, too. There were books scattered everywhere, on the chairs, on the tables, on the floor, on the bed. Furniture was put in the most random but out-of-the-way places. Even if Merlin with his pointy hat and long white beard hadn't been there, one could easily tell the place belonged to a wizard. "You're back!" 

"Hm?" Merlin had been sitting in a chair and studying one of his books on the center table, but he now stood and turned to face Tara, Sora, and Kairi. "Why, Tara! You've certainly grown," he said. "As have you, Sora, Kairi."

Indeed, it wasn't only Tara who'd changed. Sora was taller, and he wore a different outfit. It was composed of four different colors: red, blue, yellow, and black. He still wore shorts, but they were baggier and blue. The seams were outlined in black. He wore a black belt and a red short sleeved shirt. He wore a yellow short sleeved jacket over his shirt that was outlined in black, just like his shorts. His shoes were plain black, as were his gloves. He still wore all the chains he used to have.

Kairi had also changed. Though her hair was still as short as it used to be, she, too, was taller and had different clothes. Her white tank top had been replaced with a grey one that had a few pink flowers at the bottom. She wore a grey skirt that faded into pink and stopped just above her knees. Her shoes were pink also. She still wore her black choker and gold necklace, but she also had a plain black wrist band.

Tara suddenly felt self-conscious. She absently shrugged off her tattered jacket and held it slung over one arm. She shifted from one foot to the other, realizing that she hadn't had time to change her outfit since the Heartless had attacked her. Merlin just chuckled and raised his wand. Light engulfed Tara, and when it faded, her clothes were returned to normal. She smiled and nodded in thanks.

"Merlin," Sora said, "we have something to tell you. The Heartless are back, and so is -- "

"Ansem," Merlin finished with a nod. "Yes, I am already aware of this. King Mickey came and told me."

"King Mickey?" Sora, Kairi, and Tara echoed. Had Goofy and Donald been there, they would've most likely done the same, and then immediately asked a million questions about where he was and how he was doing and why he didn't stay longer.

Merlin nodded again. "He found a way to escape, and so did your friend Riku. They have split paths; Riku is looking for Ansem and you, and the king is on a quest for information."

"Then, Riku's okay?" Kairi asked in delight.

"That's great! We can finally meet up with him again," Sora said excitedly.

Tara was silent. _Riku,_ she thought. _He's the one who came to my village. He's the one who saved my life. I have to thank and repay him. But how? What can I possibly do to pay a debt that size?_

Sora looked like he was about to head out the door of Merlin's small house. He even took a few steps towards it, but Merlin stopped him. "This will be a much harder journey than it was before," he said. "The Heatless are much stronger now. You will need to train to defeat them, and to defeat Ansem when you meet up with him."

"Well, I can train around here, then go to other worlds and look for Riku," Sora said impatiently. He had stopped walking, but he cast anxious glances towards the door. "After all, finding him should be first priority. What if something's happened to him?"

"I think Riku can take care of himself. He did, after all, survive for nearly two years in the darkness where Heartless are born," Merlin answered. A twinkle was in his eyes as he said, "You need a sparring partner. Someone with skills that are equal to or perhaps greater than your own. Tara, would you like to take this job?"

She was stunned. "W-Wha...? You want _me_?" she asked. "But... I'm not very strong at all! I mean, you should've seen what happened to me when all those Heartless were there yesterday. I was so weak that I let them overwhelm me!" Sora had his doubts as well.

"Don't sell yourself short," Kairi said, internally laughing at her un-intentional pun. "I know you're really strong. I remember watching you fight the Heartless when I was here before. I think you and Sora would make great sparring partners!"

Tara and Sora looked each other from head to toe, both rather reluctant to fight the other. When Merlin said, "It's final," though, they both knew that it truly was. They were sparring partners, whether they agreed with the idea or not. "You should start right away," Merlin said. The platform that Kairi, Sora, and Tara were on rose by magic to Merlin's secret attic.

**

* * *

.:Hollow Bastion:.**  
Hollow Bastion. Riku remembered the place better than he would've liked to. This was where he'd turned on his best friend and stolen the keyblade along with Sora's other friends, Donald and Goofy. This was where he'd fought with Sora and lost. Where he'd become jealous and opened his heart to darkness. Where he'd done the unthinkable: tried to sacrifice his friends.

He could see clearly in his mind Kairi's motionless body. He'd taunted Sora, not to make him stronger like he usually did, but out of sheer malice, and then told him about Kairi's heart. Riku could've figured some other way to save Kairi, he knew he could've, but he didn't. He wanted to use the keyblade that unlocked hearts, taking Kairi's from Sora and sending Sora into complete darkness. Then he was going to use Kairi's heart to create the keyhole, toss her aside like she was no one, even though she had been the whole reason he'd come to Hollow Bastion.

But then... It was Sora who saved him. Sora defeated him again, but he wasn't quite gone. Ansem still watched the scene from the shadows, and Riku saw through his eyes. Sora used the keyblade to give Kairi back her heart. Sora had guessed that he would become a Heartless, and yet... This act of kindness, of unselfishness, of _love_ was what pulled Riku from darkness. He realized what he'd done, and so when Ansem was going to get rid of Kairi, Donald, and Goofy, he stopped him. Riku used all his strength to stop Ansem from killing the only best friend he had left because he was too late to help Sora. Kairi, luckily, ran.

"I don't deserve to be here," Riku whispered to the air as a slight breeze picked up around him and tousled his long silver hair. He stood staring up at the enormous castle gates. "I don't even deserve to live. Not after what I've done."

"Not many things are that bad," said a voice behind him. "Unless you killed someone who didn't deserve to die -- "

"I have," Riku interrupted without even looking at the person. It wasn't technically Riku who'd killed them, but nonetheless, he couldn't erase the faces of those Ansem killed by using his body after leaving Hollow Bastion. The images of those desperate, pleading faces would forever haunt him, in his thoughts and in his nightmares.

"You didn't let me finish," the voice said. "Unless you killed someone who didn't deserve to die... and didn't feel the least bit of guilt about it. I can tell that you, however, feel guilty, so you do deserve to live." Riku said nothing, and so the voice kept talking to avoid the uncomfortable silence that was sure to come. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Searching for someone," Riku said simply. "The King advised me to start my search here, in case there are clues lying around somewhere that will lead me to him."

"Does this someone have a name?"

"Ansem," Riku said bitterfly, fists clenched. "Ansem doesn't deserve to live."

Ansem was angry when Riku stopped him. He went around to other worlds, using Heartless to destroy them and killing more and more people. Riku had spent all his energy in stopping Ansem that once, and so he had none left to stop him now. Most of the time, he wasn't even conscious enough to tell what was going on. On many occasions, Ansem spared him just enough energy to keep him wide awake to view the horrible destruction that was so easily caused by this terrible monster.

One such occasion was when Ansem found a rumor about some sort of magical pendant. He went to the village on the world where it was kept, and burned it down to the ground after killing everyone living in it, even the youngest children. He then followed the trail of two people, a mother and a daughter, the daughter only fourteen. He cornered them in a cave, and Riku was powerless to stop him from killing the mother. Howvever, when Ansem turned on that girl, cowering against the wall, an image of Kairi flashed in Riku's mind. This girl reminded him so much of Kairi, and he suddenly had a strong urge to protect her. He summoned the very little energy he had and stopped Ansem long enough for the girl to escape. All his strength thus spent, he was finally flung into the deepest depths of darkness, where the Light of Creation shone and where Heartless were born.

He was flung into Kingdom Hearts.

**

* * *

.:Traverse Town:.**  
Tara and Sora stood facing each other on opposite sides of the room. Both of Tara's swords were in her hands (Sora had rescued them from the battle the night before, and she'd found them lying beside her on the bed when she awoke), and Sora had his Keyblade out. Neither wanted to start the fight, but for different reasons. Tara felt herself too weak to face the famous Keyblade Master. She knew she'd have to go full force to keep from being harmed. Sora, though he wouldn't admit it, also thought Tara was too weak. He was afraid of hurting her on accident, and decided to go easy on her.

Kairi stood on the side lines, watching. Tara's jacket was slung over her arm. She realized with vague frustration that they wouldn't start the fight without a prompt. "On go!" she said. "Ready... Set... _GO!_"

Tara dashed towards Sora, and he dashed towards her. Keyblade and swords clashed and clanged together for a few minutes. Unfortunately, since the brightly lit attic hadn't been used in two years, there was a lot of dust that was stirred up under the pair's feet. Kairi soon couldn't make out their shapes and only had the clanging sound of metal to tell that their fight was still going on.

Soon the sound stopped, and the dust settled. Everyone was surprised. Sora was lying on the ground on his back, his Keyblade lying a few feet away. Tara held her swords crossed above his neck. The two were too stunned by the results to move at all.

Kairi was first to be relieved of the stupor. "Tara is the winner of round 1!" she declared in a loud voice, though it was painfully obvious.

Tara resheathed her swords and held out a hand to help Sora up. _I beat him? _she thought with disbelief. _I actually beat him? I beat the Keyblade Master?_ "You held back," she said, her voice shaky with amazement. That was the only explanation.

Sora took her helping hand and stood looking at her. _She beat me? _he thought with disbelief. _She actually beat me? A girl beat me?_ "Yeah," he said dumbly. "I held back." He must've held back more than he thought. That was the only explanation.

"Match 2!" Kairi called. The two got back into position, each clutching their respective weapons. "And... go!"

Sora and Tara both entered the battle with new attitudes. Sora was forced to go all out while Tara was the one who held back. The fight was a bit longer, of course, but it wound up with almost results as before. The only difference was that this time, Tara had let Sora knock one of her swords away. Still, though, Sora rested on his back with Tara's remaining sword held above his neck. The sparring continued thus, sometimes with one or both using magic to aid them.

After a few hours, they both were exhausted. "Take a break," Kairi suggested, waking up from her little nap and seeing their exhausted faces. "You two can rest up a while, then go out and fight some Heartless to see how well you fight together instead of against each other."

They both readily agreed, and the three went back down to the first floor. Merlin was bent over the same book as earlier, and this time he didn't even spare them a glance as he said, "I could hear you fighting from down here. You two are definitely perfect partners for this. I assume you both learned something about each other? Perhaps now you have learned not to over or under estimate yourselves and your opponents."

Sora and Tara glanced at each other, then hung their heads in shame. Tara had known all along how good she was, and she shouldn't have thought that she would be beaten just because Sora was the Keyblade Master. Sora thought that he was far better than her not only because he thought he had far more experience, but also because his opponent was a weak-looking girl.

"Now that you have proven yourselves to one another in battle," Merlin continued, "you should get to know each other. Unfortunately, there is no more time to be wasted here, and so you must do that on the way to other worlds. Go find Donald and Goofy and leave."

"Where should they go first?" Kairi asked, curious to know where her friends would be. It was a very logical question as well, for who wanted to fly through space in a gummi ship blindfolded with no idea where to go?

Before Tara could stop herself, she blurted out, "And what's that book you're reading?"

Merlin smiled and turned a page, his eyes never glancing up from the words. "It's a rather boring book," he admitted. "However, it contains much knowledge about items of significance, like that Friendship Keychain you received, Sora." This made Sora glance down at his Keyblade, which was still in his hand. "Now, as for where to go," Merlin continued, "I would suggest Hollow Bastion. It's familiar, and it has recently become re-infested with Heartless. And who knows? You may meet a few familiar -- or unfamiliar -- faces."

Tara's eyes lit up. Hollow Bastion. That's where Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie were from. She'd finally be able to see their home, where they had sometimes disappeared to before finally leaving when the Heartless were destroyed. She'd finally be able to see the grand castle Yuffie was always talking about, and that huge library Aerith said was there. Maybe she'd even get a chance to see the secret laboratory that Leon sometimes mentioned.

Kairi turned and smiled at the two of them. "Well, that should be interesting," she said. She knew how many memories it held for Sora and her. Her heart had been given back to her there, and she'd lost Sora. A Heartless had come up to her a short time later, reeking of the scent of Sora. Somehow, she knew this little Shadow had no malice towards her, and she knew for fact that this was indeed Sora himself. She never knew quite how she'd been able to do it, but she brought Sora back from the darkness and returned him to his former self.

Sora nodded slightly. He, too, remembered all that had happened, though his journey to Kairi as a Heartless was hazy. He could only remember that impenetrable darkness through which he had drifted. He remembered feeling nothing and wondering if he was even still alive. Where was he? _Who_ was he? And then, suddenly, he heard something. It was a distant voice, calling his name. He saw a light, and he recognized the voice as Kairi's. He closed his eyes and felt warmth, and somehow he knew he was in the Hollow Bastion Castle, his arms wrapped around Kairi. "_Thank you, Kairi_," he'd said.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Tara asked, stepping off the platform and making her way past piles of junk towards the door, her hair sweeping along behind. "Let's go get the others and head to Hollow Bastion!" She pushed aside the "door", really just an old curtain, and walked out into the dark cave. Kairi and Sora followed.

Merlin remained staring at his book once they left. It was rather boring, but it contained much knowledge about items of significance, like the Friendship Keychain Sora received.

Like that pendant hanging around Tara's neck.

* * *

'gasp' Suspense! ... Of course, I'm sure there are a lot of people who guessed that Tara's pendant was somewhat important, since Ansem wanted it and since it was always glowing and stuff. Don't worry, it will soon make sense. Sort of. Okay, not really soon, but soon-_ish_. 

I am in dire need of opinions. Who should the mysterious person at Hollow Bastion be? It's definitely someone from one of the Final Fantasy's, but who? I don't want ANYONE from FFVII (7) for a few reasons. A) There's already too many from there and B) I haven't even played the game. I'd like someone from FFVIII (8), FFIX (9), or FFX (10). Here are the characters I'm considering:

**Quistis  
Rinoa  
Zell**

**Zidane  
Garnet/Dagger  
Eiko  
Freya  
Amarant**

**Lulu**

I'd prefer one of the FFIX characters. Also, I'm open to suggestions. Unfortunately, though, I've played KH2 and beaten it, so I know all the FF characters in there and I know I can't have them. Ex: Yuna, Rikku, and Auron all from FFX. Well, anyway, please review and tell me who you want to see!


End file.
